How to Make Green Tea

China is the land of origin of green tea, but now it has become associated with a number of cultures such as Japan, Middle East, etc. It has become famous in the west in recent times. There are many varieties of green tea cultivated with suitable growing, processing, and harvesting conditions available.

In the last few years, there have been many scientific and medical studies to determine the extent of the long purported health benefits of these leaves. But instead of going into any details of the health benefits, why don't we look at the process of preparing a fresh cup of green tea.

Many a time, people are intimidated to prepare the tea at home. But with this recipe, you'll see how simple the entire process is.

Ingredients

• Green Tea Leaves, 1 teaspoon
• Water, 1 cup

Method

• Place the green tea leaves in a strainer.
• Pour water in a stainless steel container and heat it to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do not have a thermometer, keep an eye on the water and make sure it does not boil.
• Place the tea strainer with tea leaves into an empty mug.

• Pour the hot water into the mug and over the tea leaves.
• Let the leaves steep in hot (not boiling) water for 2 to 3 minutes. If you want the tea stronger, keep the leaves in for a couple of minutes more.
• Cool the tea for a few minutes and enjoy.

Some people prefer using tea bags as compared to the leaves. Personally, I find it convenient to use tea bags as I can use them when I am traveling as well. A word of caution is to keep the tea bags in an air tight container so it doesn't lose its flavor.

Ingredients

• Green Tea Bag, 1
• Water, 1 cup

Method

• Boil water and let is cool down for about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Then, place the tea bag in the cup and pour water over it.
• Let the bag steep in water for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove the tea bag and let it cool a bit before drinking.

• If you like citrus flavor, you can add a slice of fresh lemon to the green tea. In case fresh lemon is not available, then add half a teaspoon of bottled lemon juice for the flavor.
• For an invigorating flavor to the green tea, put a few fresh mint leaves into a cup. The hot water will bring out the flavor of the leaves.

• Half a teaspoon of pomegranate juice can be added to a cup of green tea to sweeten it.
• Another alternative to sweeten the green tea is to use a couple of drops of vanilla extract.

Now that you have two recipes, you can make a few of cups of green tea once, store it in a flask, and drink it whenever you want. This will save you time and let you have the pleasure of drinking green tea throughout the day without bothering to prepare it each time.